Friday, April 4, 2014

Chopped Salad with Chicken and Pesto Vinaigrette

Last week my mom, sister and I went to the Butterfly Wonderland exhibit in Scottsdale Arizona. We spent most of our time in the conservatory, which is a giant glass-enclosed atrium checking out the different species of butterfly's and enjoying each other's company. After spending a few hours there we decided to complete our day together with a nice lunch.

We decided upon the Wildflower Bread Company. This place is a small chain, that is a combination bakery and restaurant that specializes in great soups, salads and sandwiches. Their bread is amazing, and they make the sandwiches with their bread. I ordered the chopped salad with salmon and pesto vinaigrette. It was the perfect combination of tangy, sweet, salty and crunchy. I liked it so much that today's recipe is based on that meal. I substituted grilled chicken for the salmon and made a few other minor changes.

Now for the dressing. I believe a pesto vinaigrette should have lots of flavor and great color. I made this dressing in the spirit of a real pesto. Just added different amounts of the usual ingredients, except for the addition of white balsamic vinegar which brought a big punch of flavor. Make extra to drizzle on veggies and pasta. To store, keep refrigerated up to 5 days.

Cheri Savory Spoon

Mysavoryspoon was first started in 2010 as a way to journal recipes that I had collected from cookbooks, magazines, family and friends. Most everything was savory, using legumes and whole grains. Along the way I discovered a love for baking. Now a couple times a month you might see some type of sweet pie or treat.

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50 comments:

Cheri, what a beautiful and colorful salad and what a pretty and delicious pesto dressing. I really like the presentation of your salad on that platter, that way, each component can be appreciated even better - and what a delightful idea to visit the "Butterfly Wonderland", that looks like such a great place to visit!